Keeping backyard hens can be a rewarding way to enjoy fresh eggs and connect with local food right at home. In the Municipality of North Grenville, residents are permitted to keep laying hens on certain properties, provided they follow a set of clear rules designed to support animal welfare, neighbourhood harmony, and public health.

This page offers a simple overview of the key requirements, including where hens are allowed, licensing, and how coops and runs must be set up. The by-laws ensure that hens are kept safely and responsibly – for example, only laying hens are permitted (no roosters), and they must be housed and cared for in accordance with municipal standards.

Site Plan

All chicken runs and coops must comply with required setback distances from property lines, dwellings, drainage easements, septic systems, wells, adjacent buildings, and any associated coops and runs. These requirements help ensure safety, proper drainage, and compatibility with neighbouring properties. For a visual example of how these setbacks may be applied, please refer to the sample site plan graphic and summary below. For full details and specific requirements, consult the by-law documents linked below.

• Maximum ground floor area of the coop shall not exceed 9 metres squared (96.88 feet squared)
• Combined coop and manure storage shall not exceed 10 metres squared (107.64 feet squared)
• The minimum floor area per hen shall be 0.37 metres squared (4 feet squared)
• The minimum run area per hen shall be 0.92 metres squared (10 feet squared)
• The run and coop must be enclosed.
• The coop and run shall be located in the rear yard only.
• Any coop or run shall be setback a minimum of 1.5 metres (4.9 feet) from any lot line
• Any coop or run shall be setback a minimum of 2.4 metres (7.8 feet) from any dwelling on the same lot
• Any coop or run shall be setback a minimum of 3 metres (9.8 feet) from any part of an adjacent dwelling
• Any coop or run shall be setback a minimum of 3 metres (9.8 feet) from any part of any septic system
• Any coop or run shall be setback a minimum of 15 metres (49.2 feet) from any part of any well and 30 metres from a non-cased well
• No coop or run shall be located in any drainage easement or utility corridor

Watch this Bird Health Basics Video to learn more about protecting your flocks from Avian Influenza and other infectious diseases. (Courtesy of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency)